This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A DevOps team is deploying a multi-tier application on AWS. The application must comply with PCI DSS. Which combination of services should be used to encrypt data in transit between the web tier and the application tier?
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and Application Load Balancer (ALB)
ACM provides TLS certificates that can be used with ALB to encrypt traffic in transit between layers.
B
AWS CloudHSM and Classic Load Balancer
Why wrong: CloudHSM provides hardware security modules but does not directly encrypt in-transit traffic. Classic Load Balancer does not support the same TLS features as ALB.
C
AWS KMS and VPC Peering
Why wrong: KMS is for key management, not for encrypting network traffic. VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic.
D
AWS WAF and Amazon CloudFront
Why wrong: WAF protects against web exploits but does not encrypt traffic. CloudFront can use HTTPS but not typically for inter-tier communication.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and Application Load Balancer (ALB)
For encryption in transit, using TLS certificates managed by ACM and enforced by an Application Load Balancer is the standard approach. CloudHSM or KMS are for key storage but not directly for in-transit encryption. VPC Peering does not provide encryption.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why this is correct
ACM provides TLS certificates that can be used with ALB to encrypt traffic in transit between layers.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
AWS CloudHSM and Classic Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM provides hardware security modules but does not directly encrypt in-transit traffic. Classic Load Balancer does not support the same TLS features as ALB.
✗
AWS KMS and VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
KMS is for key management, not for encrypting network traffic. VPC Peering does not encrypt traffic.
✗
AWS WAF and Amazon CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
WAF protects against web exploits but does not encrypt traffic. CloudFront can use HTTPS but not typically for inter-tier communication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) and Application Load Balancer (ALB) — For encryption in transit, using TLS certificates managed by ACM and enforced by an Application Load Balancer is the standard approach. CloudHSM or KMS are for key storage but not directly for in-transit encryption. VPC Peering does not provide encryption.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This DOP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DOP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.